How milk lost its whiteness to adulterers in Haryana

A seat of white revolution where milk even flowed out of folk songs has now attained the image, synonymous with adulteration. About thirty percent samples have failed in the tests as unscrupulous vendors are resorting to adulteration to the level of adding detergents and urea to milk.

ONCE UPON a time, Haryana was known as land of milk and curd. Its Murrah buffalo was known all over the world for quality and quantity of milk. Milk and curd were available in plenty and there was no question of adulteration. But now the situation has changed. According to official sources about thirty percent milk samples had failed during the tests in the state. Besides, twelve percent samples of other foodstuffs had also failed during tests in the state.

With decline of cows and buffaloes and increase in demand of milk, unscrupulous milk vendors are resorting to adulteration. Adulteration by water can be tolerated to some extent but shockingly toxic chemicals like detergents are even added to milk. A recent study conducted by Food Safety Standards Authority of India across the country has come with startling revelations that milk was adulterated with detergents, fat and even urea. Use of detergents in milk can create serious health problems for the user.

Union Health Ministry is planning to introduce E.Coli test as a mandatory for milk producers to detect harmful bacteria. Union Health Minister, Gulam Nabi Azad has asked state governments to increase their surveillance on food items and stop the menace of food adulteration seriously. Inspections should be increased to check presence of harmful chemicals, especially in milk. Worried over the trend the authorities have started a crackdown to check adulteration of milk and other food items in the state.
Haryana State Drug Controller cum Joint Commissioner, Food and Drug administration, Dr. G L Singal has given stern warning to dealers of milk and milk products, asking them not to play with the health of the people for their petty benefits.Dr. Singal said that adulteration in the foodstuffs was a serious crime. Giving a stern warning to the dealers of milk and milk products, he said that they should not play with the health of the people for their petty benefits. Milk and milk products were largely found adulterated in the state. They should not use colours other than ISI mark colours in sweets. The Dhaba owners should not add colours to the vegetables. Strict actions would be taken against those found violating these instructions. Sale of open chili and turmeric powder and other spices had been banned under new Food Safety Standard Act. Refined oils could also be sold only in packing.

It was mandatory to print manufacturing date, expiry date, quantity and name of manufacturer of the product on the box. If any shopkeeper was found selling open products and sample was taken of the products, the responsibility of the failure would be of the shopkeeper concerned and in case of packed products, the responsibility would be of the manufacturing firm, he added.

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DC for effective implementation of new Integrated Food Laws

JAMMU, Mar 03: A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma for effective implementation of the new Integrated Food Laws namely the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 Rules & Regulations 2011 that has come in force in the State w.e.f 5th August, 2011.

The Chairman has reviewed the working of the Food Safety Officers of District Jammu and directed the designated officers of JMC as well as District Jammu to get the samples of suspected food items lifted from the market in order to ensure safe and wholesome food being provided to the people.

Verma impressed upon the designated officers to conduct the inspections of their jurisdiction to ensure that they comply to all the sanitary and hygienic practices laid down under the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses), Regulations 2011.

A committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Food Safety, Jammu Division has been constituted to ensure display of Notice Board containing separate lists of the articles which have been cooked in Ghee, Edible Oils, Vanspati and other fats for the information of the intending restaurants and other Food Stalls besides providing inputs for grading of above-mentioned Food Business operators on the basis of facilities, quality of food provided to the consumers and infrastructure available with them. It has also been directed to all the enforcement staff appointed under the said Act to bring all FBOs under licensing/registration and should have transparency and facilitate FBO to have a Robust Food Safety management system for making safe food available to all consumers.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Food Safety, Additional District Magistrate (Adjudicating Officer for Distt. Jammu), Addl. District Development Commissioner, Health Officer Jammu Municipal Corporation (Designated Officer for JMC), Asst. Controller Food (HQ), Designated Officer District Jammu and Asstt. Director CAPD.

Poisonous substances in food items alarming, opines official Caution raised against use of pesticides

Imphal, March 02 2012: Cautioning the general public that consumption of vegetable items and local fish products could pose health threats due to excessive use of pesticide and other poisonous substances in growing/catching consumable items, a top official of the Director of Health Services said relevant measures have been initiated to test some food items at reputed laboratories outside Manipur.

Interacting with The Sangai Express, Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Brojendro Khaba Meitei said recent enmasse detection of dead fishes on the eastern corner of Loktak Lake at Phoubakchao area is a grim reminder that the fishing community do not care for the safety of the consumers.

Referring to the discovery of an empty can of the banned Hildan pesticide from Phoubakchao area where large number of dead fishes were found floating, the Commissioner construed that the incident is a grim reminder of threat posed to the consumers.

Asserting that similar hazardous items are being applied by the local farmers for speedy growth and maturing of vegetables which all the consumers are not aware of, he said for confirmation of harmful items in food items, particularly fish, samples of fresh and dried fishes, including fermented fish (Ngari) would be referred for testing at Kolkatabased laboratories.

A floating dead fish on Loktak lake and inset a can of pesticide found nearby-File

Ruing absence of an effective testing mechanism in Manipur for the equipment available with the Directorate of Health Services is not reliable due to obscurity of the machinery, Brojendro also opined that as leaving local fish variety out of the menu is the only option left for the consumers, ultimately it will be the fishing community who will suffer the most.

With regard to the Phoubakchao case, he said a Food Safety team of the Public Health Services went to assess the condition of the dead fishes which are in the possession of the Loktak Development Authority but found that all were and found that all were highly decomposed due to which no test was suggested for it would lack precision.

Brojendro, nevertheless, concluded that discovery of the Hildan can at the fishing area is hard evidence of poisonous substances used by fishermen as one of the easiest means to catch fish without realising harmful consequences of such fishes could have on the consumer/s.Claiming that some fishermen of Phoubakchao area approached the Directorate to conduct awareness programme on a wider scale against usage of poisonous substances to catch fish, the Deputy Commissioner warned that if arrested using the banned Hildan pesticide one could face jail term for life along with Rs 5 lakh penalty under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 .

Describing use of harmful pesticides in consumer items as a form of biological warfare, he suggested that the local populace remain vigil at their respective fishing zones to prevent.

Brojendro also quoted findings of subject experts that consumption of vegetables grown or matured with the use of pesticide will be safe only after a lapse of 21 days from the last application but regretted that most of the locally grown vegetables reach the market a few days after pesticides have been applied/sprayed.

On the health hazards posed by Hildan, he said Endosulfan content in the pesticide might result in deformities of the limbs, neurological problems, mental disorder, stunted growth, miscarriage in pregnant women, respiratory infection, serious skin diseases, etc.

The official further maintained that process was initially underway to refer fish samples recovered from Phoubakchao area to a Kolkata laboratory but the same had to be dropped due to highly decomposed nature of the fishes.